A. Field of the Invention.
The embodiments of the present invention relate to a sawhorse-related bracket, and more particularly, the embodiments of the present invention relate to a bracket for replaceably connecting an end of a crossbar of a conventional PVC sawhorse to a crossbar of another conventional PVC sawhorse to thereby replaceably connect the conventional PVC sawhorse to the another conventional PVC sawhorse to form a barrier.
B. Description of the Prior Art.
As shown in FIG. 1, which is a diagrammatic perspective view of a prior art pair of conventional PVC sawhorses orthogonally positioned to form a barrier, a prior art pair of conventional PVC sawhorses 20 are orthogonally positioned to form a barrier 22 by merely being positioned octagonally to each other with no connection therebetween. Each conventional PVC sawhorse 20 includes a pair of A-frames 24 and a pair of crossbars 26.
Numerous innovations for barriers have been provided in the prior art, which will be described below in chronological order to show advancement in the art, and which are incorporated herein by reference thereto. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention in that they do not teach a bracket for replaceably connecting an end of a crossbar of a conventional PVC sawhorse to a crossbar of another conventional PVC sawhorse to thereby replaceably connect the conventional PVC sawhorse to the another conventional PVC sawhorse to form a barrier.
(1) U.S. Pat. No. 2,647,803 to Bohm.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,647,803 issued to Bohm on Aug. 4, 1953 in U.S. class 304 and subclass 5 teaches a sawhorse connector bracken, including a pair of spaced opposed side walls and a pair of spaced opposed end walls. The walls have a permanent rigid interconnection. The end walls are downwardly divergent, and the side walls have their central portions similarly offset toward each other, and each forming at its offsets a pair of downwardly divergent shoulders respectively substantially parallel to the respective end walls, whereby the shoulders are correlated with the end walls and adjoining portions of the side walls to form a pair of spaced downwardly divergent sockets for receiving a pair of sawhorse legs. The offset central portions have similar notches extending downwardly from their upper edges, between the shoulders of each such portion, to jointly receive the cross bar of a sawhorse. A pair of tongues are struck out of the notches in the offset portions and project oppositely outward from the portions, and have their major portions within recesses exteriorly formed in the side walls by their offset portions.
(2) U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,789 to Larson.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,789 issued to Larson on Dec. 6, 1966 in U.S. class 182 and subclass 226 teaches a collapsible sawhorse bracket assembly for interconnecting a crosspiece and a pair of legs in converging relationship with each other and to the crosspiece. The assembly includes a pair of separate and independent brackets. Each bracket includes a main wall adapted to be fixedly secured to one edge of an associated leg at one end thereof, and a side flange formed integral with the wall and disposed substantially perpendicular thereto and along the outer face of the associated leg at the one end thereof. The main wall and the side flange extend beyond the adjacent end of the associated leg, and the main wall has a cutout therein on the edge opposite the side flange for receiving a supporting crosspiece therein. An abutment flange is integral with the main wall, disposed substantially perpendicular thereto, and extends in the same direction as the side flange and is adapted to lie against the upper end of the associated leg. A guide range integral with the main wall and disposed substantially perpendicular thereto and extending therefrom in the same direction as the side flange and placed therefrom a distance to receive the associated leg therebetween. A plurality of openings in the main wall in the area thereof defined by the side flange and the abutment flange and the guide flange for receiving fasteners there-through to secure the bracket to the associated leg. A crosspiece flange integral with one edge of the main wall defines the cutout and is disposed substantially perpendicular thereto and extends therefrom in a direction opposite to the side flange and is adapted to lie along the side of an associated crosspiece. The crosspiece flange has an opening therein for receiving a fastener there-through to secure the bracket to the associated crosspiece. The brackets are overlapped and have aligned pivot apertures therethrough. A pivot pin is disposed in the aligned pivot apertures and pivotally interconnects the brackets to provide an axis for pivoting the legs with respect thereto, between a folded position wherein the outer ends thereof are adjacent to each other and an operative position wherein the outer ends thereof are spaced apart. Each of the brackets has an L-shaped slot in the main wall thereof including first and second arms. The first arm of each of the L-shaped slots is arranged with the longitudinal axis thereof in alignment with the first arm of the other L-shaped slot when the legs are in the operative position thereof. The second arm of each of the L-shaped slots is arranged at the end of the associated first arm thereof disposed toward the pivot pin and extends therefrom outwardly toward the associated leg. A lock pin is disposed in the L-shaped slots and is movable therealong in the aligned portions thereof, between a locking position and a non-locking position, as the legs move between the operative and the folded positions thereof. The lock pin in the locking position is disposed at the ends of the aligned first arms disposed away from the pivot pin, with the legs in the operative position thereof. The lock pin in the nonlocking position is disposed in aligned portions of the second arms, with the legs in the folded position thereof.
(3) U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,512 to Reece.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,512 issued to Reece on Jan. 30, 1973 in U.S. class 182 and subclass 226 teaches a bracket for connecting together two legs and an upper crosspiece of a sawhorse or similar structure. The bracket includes two elements into which the upper ends of the sawhorse legs are insertable. The bracket has upper portions adapted upon relative pivotal movement of the two elements to grip the crosspiece of the sawhorse, with a toggle linkage being actuable by downward movement of a manually operated handle to swing the two elements to their gripping positions, and to simultaneously actuate gripping teeth into holding engagement with the legs.
(4) U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,980 to Toomey.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,980 issued to Toomey on Aug. 8, 1978 in U.S. class 116 and subclass 63P teaches a collapsible road barrier that includes at least one horizontal reflective member that is attached to the upper portion of four supporting legs. The four supporting legs are positioned in pairs, with the upper portion thereof hinged together and the lower portion thereof spaced from each other so as to provide support for the horizontal reflective member. The collapsible road barrier also includes a universally collapsible bunk positioned adjacent the lower ends of the supporting legs. The universally collapsible bunk is generally rectangular in shape, with each of the four corners of the bunk being attached to one of the supporting legs to provide a surface upon which material, such as ballast, may be positioned. The collapsible road barrier is readily folded to provide for convenient storage.
(5) U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,133 to Trent et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,133 issued to Trent et al. on Sep. 7, 1982 in U.S. Class 404 and subclass 6 teaches a highway median barrier construction formed as integral U-shaped shell sections of polymer concrete that are placed end-to-end at the construction site and are then filled with hydraulic concrete or other ballast through filling holes that are then capped with polymer concrete.
(6) U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,303 to Glasmire.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,303 issued to Glasmire on Oct. 1, 1985 in U.S. Class 404 and subclass 6 teaches a protective traffic barrier for diverting motor vehicle traffic away from an object or roadway. A base with wedge-shaped projections extending vertically from the base impedes the movement of a motor vehicle across the barrier. The shape of the base is designed to fulfill a particular function including an opening to allow the barrier to fit over an object to be protected. A resilient, preferably plastic, cover encapsulating the base protects people or animals from contact injury with the wedge-shaped projections, while allowing the projections to penetrate a vehicle tire. The cover is coated with various materials to enhance visibility of the barrier by motor vehicle operators.
(7) U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,725 to Hutchings, II et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,725 issued to Hutchings, II et al. on Dec. 25, 1990 in U.S. class 256 and subclass 64 teaches a triangular frame assembly for supporting a safety barrier of boards above the edge of a roof during construction. The triangular assembly employs pivotal connections between a base and a lower stanchion member, between the base and a diagonal brace, and between the diagonal brace and an upper stanchion member telescopically connected to the lower stanchion member. The angle between the stanchion and the base are adjusted to accommodate a wide range of roof pitches by varying the telescopic engagement of the upper and lower stanchion members. The range of roof pitch angles for which the frame assembly is used is increased by making the upper stanchion member invertable, adapting both ends thereof to alternatively telescopically engage the lower stanchion member, and by providing for an off-center brace connection to the upper stanchion member. A variation provides for a rigid triangular frame secured below the eave of a roof for supporting a stanchion extending above the eave.
(8) U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,037 to Neumarkel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,037 issued to Neumarkel on Jan. 16, 1996 in U.S. class 182 and subclass 185.1 teaches a connector for use in assembling a sawhorse. The sawhorse has an elongate cross member mid four elongate leg members joined together using two connectors. Each connector is manufactured from a tubular center sleeve having a bottom wall and defining an interior passage having a longitudinal axis. The interior passage receives an end of the cross member. The connector also includes first and second tubular leg sockets. Each socket defines an interior passage having a longitudinal axis. The first and second sockets are secured in opposing angular disposition to the center sleeve, so that the longitudinal axes of the first and second sockets are disposed radially relative to the longitudinal axis of the center sleeve. Each of the first and second sockets receives an end of one of first and second leg members. The received ends of the first and second leg members bear against the bottom wall of the center sleeve.
(9) U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,047 to Means et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,047 issued to Means et al. on Apr. 10, 2001 in U.S. class 116 and subclass 28R teaches a telescopic device mounted onto the side of an emergency vehicle, which has reflectors, lights, or a caution sign mounted on its rear facing surface, so that when it is in its extended position the reflectors, lights, or caution sign are visible to the oncoming traffic and thereby act as a safety warning. The device has a base for being mounted directly onto the side of the emergency or maintenance vehicle. The base contains a hinge about which the telescopic member rotates. Each telescopic section of the telescopic member has apparatus for stopping each other section including overlapping lips that allow the sections to be extended.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for barriers have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the embodiments of the present invention as heretofore described, namely, a bracket for replaceably connecting an end of a crossbar of a conventional PVC sawhorse to a crossbar of another conventional PVC sawhorse to thereby replaceably connect the conventional PVC sawhorse to the another conventional PVC sawhorse to form a barrier.